Frame structure for a container



Aug. 27, 1968 F. NEUBERGER 3,398,854

FRAME STRUCTURE FOR A CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Allg- 27, 1968 F. NEUBERGER FRAME STRUCTURE FOR A CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug.

Z6 INNO; f2 z3 T1 En- 17] i (44 4.5 (ZZ ATTORNEY Allg` 27, 1958 F. NEUBERGER 3,398,854

FRAME STRUCTURE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 5 Sheets-Shen E,

INVENTOR Fam /l/Eaags/e av/mula? hln/Jug ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,398,854 FRAME STRUCTURE FOR A CONTAINER Fred Neuberger, 10 Maple Ave., New Rochelle, N.Y. 10805 Filed Aug. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 570,078 11 Claims. (Cl. 220-80) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A receptacle with rectangular walls comprises a frame structure including pairs of mating inner and outer frame members `along the 4receptacle edges, the frame members `being angle members with slidably engaging dovetail tongue and groove along their confronting corners. Each of the outer frame members is provided with a -longitudinal groove and the wall panels are provided wlth edge anges engaging the corresponding grooves, the panel borders being sandwiched between the frame member confronting faces. Corner members are secured to the receptacle corners and Ihold the panels and frame members in an assembled condition.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in receptacles such as boxes, containers, tanks, cases and the like and it relates particularly to an improved receptacle structure capable of withstanding heavy forces such as high load boxes, explosive proof boxes, security boxes and the like.

Many types of receptacles are required to withstand heavy loads, both of a continuous nature of an intermittent or shock nature, explosion resistant boxes being representative of such receptacles. The boxes of this character heretofore available are expensive structures which are difficult to fabricate and assemble. They are generally formed of a plurality of differently formed sections and components which are costly to produce, 4and the assembly thereof, which is `common -by welding or the like, is a time consuming procedure requiring a high degree of skill and expensive equipment and greatly contributes to the high cost of the end product.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved receptacle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved receptacle capable of withstanding heavy loads.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved heavy load receptacle fabricated of stamped and extruded sections and capable of being rapidly assembled at the plant or in the eld with a minimum of skill, thereby facilitating the storage and transportation of the unassembled receptacles and reducing the cost thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle structure of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, reliability, adaptability and low cost of fabrication and assembly.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein;

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a lidded box embodying the present invention and illustrated in a closed condition;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;y

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged 4fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE l "ice FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6 6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a lportion ofthe box structure;

FIGURE 9 is an inside perspective view of an upper locking member; and

AFIGURE l0 is an inside perspective view of a lower locking member.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a receptacle structure comprising -an inner frame including transverse and longitudinal inner frame base members delineating a frame base and extending between the corners of said frame base, and wall frame members projecting upwardly from said corners, an outer frame member extending along and slidably engaging each of said inner frame members to define corresponding pairs of inner and outer frame members having pairs of confronting faces, at least one face of each of said confronting pair being provided with a groove extending along the length of respective frame member, a plurality of panels defining the base and walls of said receptacle structure and provided with borders sandwiched between the confronting faces of corresponding frame member pairs and lips extending along the edges of saidpanels and engaging corresponding of said grooves, and means for locking said outer frame members against movement along the length thereof.

According to a preferred form of the improved structure the receptacle body is of rectangular configuration, the inner and outer frame members being extruded angle members in mating relationship to form frame member pairs which are slidably connected by mating dovetail tongues and grooves formed at the confronting corners of the frame members. The locking members at the base of the receptacle are angle caps defined by three mutually perpendicular walls, the end faces of which engage the corresponding end faces of the adjacent outer frame members and the locking members at the open top of the receptacle body are angle members including a pair of perpendicular walls associated with the vertical and upper Ihorizontal frame members in the manner of the corner locking members. The locking members walls and the outer frame members are provided with aligned bores which are engaged by fastening pins t-o secure the assembly.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numerical 10 generally designates a box embodying the improved structure, the box 10 including a receptacle body 11 and a cooperating separable lid member 12 of substantially the same structu-re as the body 11. Basically the body 11 comprises inner and outer frames formed of respective inner and outer frame members, panels having borders engaged 'by the frame members, angle or cap members for locking the assembled frames and panels into a unit, and coupling pins for securing the assembly.

The inner frame comprises an inner base frame of rectangular configuration formed of four similarly shaped longitudinally extending inner frame members 13 of right angle substantially uniform transverse cross-section including mutually perpendicular legs 14 and 16 diverging from the corners of the frame members 13 inwardly and upwardly respectively. The ends of the legs 14 and 16 are mitered at 45 and the mitered ends of adjacent legs 14 are contiguous so that the frame members 13 delineate a rectangular base frame. Projecting upwardly from the corners of the base frame are vertical inner frame members 17 similar in cross-section to the frame members 13 and having the bottom ends of the frame member legs mitered and in mating engagement with corresponding mitered ends of the lbase frame members 131. The upper edges of the vertical inner frame members are horizontal.

The outer borders f the outer faces of the frame members 13 and 17 are inwardly offset or recessed as at 18 to a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the associated wal-l panels, as will be hereinafter described. Extending along the outer corner of each of the inner frame members is a xdovetail tongue 19 symmetric to the corresponding frame member and including a flat outer face and side faces converging from the edges of the outerface. The dovetail tongue 19 formed on the base frame members 13 extends between points short of the ends of the frame members and substantially aligned with the base of the mitered end, on the vertical frame members 17 the dovetail tongues extend from points aligned with the bases of the bottom mitered ends to the top edges of the frame members 17.

Associated with the inner frame members 13 and 17 are corresponding mating horizontal and vertical relatively short outer frame members 20 andl 21 respectively, the outer frame members 20 being equal in length to the distance between the bases of the mitered ends of the inner frame members 13 and the vertical outer frame members being equal in length to the distance between the bases of the mitered ends of the vertical inner frame mem-bers 17 and points short of the opposite ends thereof by the heights of the respective locking members as will be hereinafter described. The outer frame members 20 and 21 are of uniform substantially right angle transverse cross-section and include mutually perpendicular legs 22 converging to the frame member corner, the inner corners of the frame members 20 and 21 having formed therein along the full lengths thereof dovetail grooves 23 complementing the dovetail tongues 19. Formed in the inner faces of the legs 22 and extending the full lengths thereof are narrow rectangular -grooves which register with the inner borders of the recesses 18 of corresponding engaged inner frame members 13 and 17. In the assembled condition of the body 12 the dovetail grooves 23 are sldably engaged by corresponding tdovetail tongues 19, the mitered ends of the inner frame members 13 and 17 being in end right angle engagement, and the outer frame members 20 and 21 being positioned thereon in equally spaced end to end relationship and spaced from the tops of the vertical inner frame members 17 to provide free lower outer frame corners delineated by the ends of the horizontal outer frame members 20 and the bottom faces of the vertical outer frame members 21 and free upper outer frame corners above the top faces of the vertical outer frame members 21.

The bottom wall of the body member 12 comprises a rectangular bottom panel 24 and the side and end walls thereof comprise rectangular side panels 26. The peripheral borders of the panel 24 register with corresponding recesses 18 formed in the bottom inner frame member legs 18 and lips or flanges 27 depend from the peripheries of the panel 24 and extend symmetrically for distances equal to the lengths of the grooves 25 and engage said grooves. In the assembled condition the borders of the panel 24 are tightly sandwiched between the confronting faces of the horizontal legs of the inner and outer frame members 13 and 20.

The side panels 26 are provided with outwardly directed horizontal and vertical peripheral flanges 28, the bottom horizontal and the vertical anges engaging and extending coextensively with the respective grooves 25 in the outer frame member legs 22, the bottom and side borders of the panels 26 being sandwiched between corresponding confronting faces of the inner and outer frame members. An upper frame mem-ber 29 in the form of an elongated rectangular bar engages the upper border of each of the panels 26 and extends along the length thereof a distance equal to that of the corresponding flange 28. Formed in the bottom of each of the frame members 29 is a vertical narrow slot 30 of a greater width than the thickness of the panels 26 and terminating in a horizontally outwardly directed slot 32 and extending for the full length of the member 29. The upper borders and flanges 28 of the panels 26 are engaged by frame members 29. A relatively wide deep groove 323 is formed in the top face of each of the frame members 29 and has a gasket 34 nested in the bottom thereof.

In order to lock the frame members and panels in a locked condition there are provided a plurality of bottom corner locking members 36 and a plura-lity of upper corner locking members 37. The bottom locking members 36 are in the form of angular caps each comprising a square bottom wall 38 and square side walls projecting upwardly from adjacent edges of the bottom wall 38, the walls 38 and 39 being mutually perpendicular to each other and terminating in horizontal top faces 40, vertical side end faces 41, and vertical bottom end faces 42. Each of the bottom locking members 36 engages a 1bottom corner formed by the mating mitered ends of corresponding inner frame members 13 and 17 and registers with the corner space dened by the corresponding end faces of the outer frame members 20 and 21` The locking member top faces 40 abut the bottom faces of the vertical outer frame members 21, the side end faces 41 abut the end faces of the vertical legs 22 and the bottom end faces 42 abut the end faces of the horizontal legs 22. Elongated bores 44 are formed along each corner edge of the locking members 36 and extend through the full length thereof, and are in aligned registry with correspondingly shaped bores `46 formed in the respective corners of the outer frame members 20 and 21. The locking members 36 are secured to the outer frame members 20 and 21 by means of locking pins 47 which engage corresponding pairs of aligned bores 44 and 46 to thereby prevent the movement of the locking members 36. The pins 47 are nested in the coaxial bore pairs and in assembled condition, the outer ends of at least two of the pins 47 in each locking member 36 are positioned inwardly along the respective bores 44 relative to the other bores 44 perpendicular thereto so as to permit the application of all the locking pins 47 attendant body member 12.

The upper locking members 37 are of right angular configuration including a pair of mutually perpendicular walls 48 which have underfaces which abut the top faces of the vertical outer frame members 21 and end faces which abut the respective end faces of adjacent upper frame members 29. Formed in the underfaces of the walls 48 are longitudinally extending square slots 49 which engage the square unanged corners of the panels 26 and formed in the top faces of the walls 48 are deep wide slots 50 which are in alignment with the top frame member slots 33 and have the gasket 34 nested therein. The locking member 47 has bores 51 formed therein, along the outer corner and along the bottom outer edges thereof, which are coaxially aligned with corresponding similarly shaped bores 52 formed in the vertical outer and upper frame members 17 and 27. Locking pins 53 mating the aligned pairs of bores 51 and 52 engage said bore pairs, as earlier described. The locking members 36 and 37 secured by the pins 47 and 53 lock the frame members 13, 17, 20, 21 and 29 and the panels 24 and 26 in a rigid assembled condition.

The lid 12 is similar in construction to the body section 11 and includes top inner frame members 56 and side inner frame members 57 mitered at adjacent ends and intertting and formed like the inner frame members 13 and 17 respectively and outer upper horizontal and vertical frame members 58 and 59 matingly engaging the frame members 56 and 57 and corresponding in shape to the frame members 20 and 21. As in the body frame, the

outer frame members 58 and 59 are provided with longito the assembly of thev tudinal dovetail grooves which slidably engage mating dovetail tongues formed on the frame members 56 and 57 and sandwich the borders of a rectangular upper panel member 60 and rectangular side panel members 61, the panel members 60 and 61 being provided with peripheral anges which engage corresponding slots formed in the inner frame of the abutting legs of the outer frame members 58 and 59.

The lower flanged borders of the panels 61 are engaged by bottom frame members 64 which are provided in their upper sections with thin longitudinal slots terminating at their bottoms in outwardly directed legs, the slots slidably engaging the anged borders of the panels 61. Depending from the bottoms of the frame members 64 are medially positioned longitudinally extending tongues 65 adopted to engage the slots 33 and are of less depth than that of the slots 33 to accommodate the gasket 34 in a compressed state.

The upper corners of the lid 12 are engaged by corner locking members 66 similar in construction to the corner locking members 36, and provided with longitudinal bores 67 adjacent their corner edges which are engaged by securing pins 68 the inner ends of which engage bores in axial alignment with corresponding bores 67. The lower corners of the lid 12 are engaged by locking members 69 of angular configurations similar to the locking members 37 but provided with depending tongues which mate the grooves 50 in the locking members 37. The locking member 69 is provided with bores, in the manner of the locking member 37, in axial alignment with bores formed in the outer frame members 59 and 64 and engaged by securing pins to effect with the pins 68 a locking of the lid 12 in its assembled condition.

In order to releasably lock the lid 12 to the body 11, there are provided along adjacent outer faces of the frame members 29 and 64 mating latching assemblies 70 of conventional construction.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle structure comprising an inner frame including transverse and longitudinal inner frame base members delineating a frame base and extending between the corners of said frame base, and wall frame members projecting upwardly from said corners, an outer frame member extending along and slidably engaging each of said inner frame members to define corresponding pairs of inner and outer frame members having pairs of confronting faces, at least one face of each of said confronting pair being provided with a groove extending along the length of a respective frame member, a plurality of panels defining the base and walls of said receptacle structure and provided with borders sandwiched between said confronting faces of corresponding frame member pairs, and anges extending along the edges of said panels and engaging corresponding of said grooves, corresponding pairs of said inner and outer frame members being mating right angle members with slidably mating longitudinal tongues and grooves extending along the confronting cor ners thereof, and means for locking said outer frame members against movement along the length thereof.

2. The receptacle structure of claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises a plurality of angular members positioned at corresponding corners of said receptacle structure and having end faces engaging the corresponding end faces of adjacent outer frame members to restrict the movement thereof, and means for securing said angular members to said receptacle structure.

3. The receptacle structure of claim -1 having a rectangular base and wherein said locking means comprises a corner cap registering with each of the corners of said base and including three mutually perpendicular Walls, the end faces of said walls engaging the corresponding adjacent end faces of said outer frame members extending toward said respective corner, and means for securing said caps to said receptacle structure.

4. The receptacle structure of claim 3 wherein said outer frame members have longitudinal first bores formed therein extending to the end faces thereof and the walls of said caps have longitudinal second bores formed therein extending for the lengths thereof and registering and coaxial with adjacent of said first bores, and said securing means comprise pins engaging said pairs of aligned bores.

5. The receptacle structure of claim 1 wherein said tongues and grooves are of dovetail configuration.

6. The receptacle structure of claim 1 wherein the outer border of at least one of each of the confronting faces of said mating angle members is recessed to provide a space between said confronting faces approximately the thickness of a corresponding panel and extending from the edge of said face to at least the respective groove.

7. The receptacle structure of claim 1 having a rectangular base and rectangular front, rear and side walls and wherein said tongues and grooves are of dovetail configuration and said locking means comprises a corner cap registering with each of the corners of said base and including three mutually perpendicular walls the end faces of said walls engaging the corresponding adjacent end faces of said outer frame members extending toward said respective corner and means for securing said caps to said receptacle structure.

8. The receptacle structure of claim 7 wherein said panels are of rectangular configurations and said anges extend to points short of the opposite edges of said correspending panels and are of lengths approximately equal to that of the prospective groove frame members.

9. The receptacle structure of claim 7 wherein said locking means comprise angle members registering with the upper corners of said receptacle and each including a pair of mutually perpendicular walls the end and bottom faces of said walls engaging the corresponding adjacent end faces of the vertical and upper outer frame members extending toward said respective corners, and means for securing said locking angle member to said receptacle structure.

10. The receptacle structure of claim 1 wherein each of said frame members is defined by a separate unit.

11. The receptacle of structure of claim 1 wherein each of said frame members is an extruded member of uniform transverse cross-section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,364,083 12/1944 Lindsay 220-80 XR 2,809,404 10/1957 Hinds.

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner. 

